US Immigration Facts

Learn more about current US immigration facts. The United States has complex immigration laws.

The administration of U.S. President Barack Obama has delineated US immigration policy quite clearly. The country’s chief executive has emphasized that there should both be firmness and transparency in the implementation of immigration laws. Government allocated resources to make sure that the country’s southern frontier is protected from the incursion of illegal immigrants. Lawmakers from various states have been passing legislation to address needs of immigrant communities. These include DREAM (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) Act concerns such as access to in-state tuition at public academic institutions for students who studied in state high schools for several years or earned an equivalent degree regardless of immigration status. Last year, the Department of Homeland Security declared that it will permit qualified youth to seek deferred action to get work permit and avoid deportation.

The government projected a possible shortage of 20 million skilled and non-skilled workers by 2026. That is why many sectors have called for the moderation of US immigration laws.

Current Immigration Statistics

American immigration authorities disclosed the following information sourced out from the Department of Homeland Security and Pew Hispanic Center:

The number of illegal immigrants increased by 27% between 2000 and 2009. As of 2011, there were 11.5 million undocumented aliens in the country. More than 60 percent of this populace came into the United States before 2000. 58 percent of this came from nearby Mexico.

The Pew Hispanic Center claimed that even as some 1.4 million Mexicans entered the country from 2005 to 2010, the same number left the U.S. for their native country during that same period.

US immigration services reported that Latinos make up 16.4% of the country’s total population and will comprise almost 25% of the entire population when 2050 comes.

The chart below came from US Census reports:

In 2010, the total figure of illegal immigrants in the labor force has grown to approximately 8 million.

More than 1 million foreigners were awarded permanent and legal residency status. The breakdown is as follows:

139. 120 – Mexicans

70, 863 – Chinese

58, 173 – Filipinos

The USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) revealed that illegal aliens continue to settle across the 50 states of the nation. The usual entry points are California, Florida, Illinois, New York and Texas. 15 other states have experienced a considerable 200% increase in their respective immigrant populace from 1990 to 2009.

Boost to U.S. Economy

The government noted that immigration in the United States is a net advantage to national economy. Over $1.5 trillion will go to the cumulative GDP (gross domestic product) for one decade given a wide-ranging immigration reform scheme which includes legalization for all illegal immigrants. In 2010 alone, almost $11.2 billion was paid by these unauthorized aliens in state and local tariff. It is expected that a minimum of $4.5 billion up to $5.4 billion will be gained by the federal government in net tax revenues for three years if all immigrants are given immigrant visa status. On the contrary, $2.6 million of GDP will be lost if these immigrants are banished from the country. The cost alone of deporting all illegal aliens from the United States is estimated at $285 billion.